The Libyan armed forces have shown themselves to be agile in learning to avoid a NATO airpower “Choke Hold” (AW&ST April 4, p. 25). The SA-24 surface-to-air missile is optically guided and all the electronic countermeasures in the inventory will not stop them. When it comes to man-portable anti-aircraft weapons, it turns out we, and our allies, may not rule all the airspace.
Boeing Material Services business unit has extended a landing gear overhaul and exchange program to cover the 777-300ER, -200LR and 777F. The overhaul and exchange program is used by 75 customers with eight aircraft types.
The SJ30 business jet is facing a potential new life as long-time supplier Metalcraft Technologies has emerged as the owner of the beleaguered aircraft program. Metalcraft, a producer of sheet metal and precision parts in Cedar City, Utah, bought the light-jet program for $3.5 million, plus the assumption of debt including $1.688 million related to the production of SJ30 No. 12, court documents say. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware cleared the sale on April 7, and an asset purchase agreement was executed the same day.
Changes in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program are forcing Israel to consider buying a squadron of used F-15Es or F-16s as a gap-filler, although such a move is not uniformly supported by the country's military. Israel has pledged to acquire 20 F-35As under a $2.75 billion contract, the first of which are to be delivered in 2016. However, schedule slippage in the core F-35 program means the aircraft will be delivered in their most basic configuration, without any Israeli electronic warfare systems. Those could only be incorporated into the JSF by 2018.
Nobody should believe that American Airlines' bid to remove the global distribution system (GDS) from the travel booking process is merely an attempt to eliminate GDS service fees. Ancillary revenues and passenger loyalty are very much at the heart of the “direct connect” philosophy.
Ronen Sen, a former ambassador of New Delhi, shares some insight for companies seeking to get in on India's multibillion-dollar defense modernization. First, India will remain heavily dependent on Russia for defense equipment, at least for the time being. Next, price alone will not determine the winner of competitions. “Russia, the U.S. and other partners will have to demonstrate their competitiveness through a substantially increased serviceability of their [weapons] systems,” he says. That includes product support as well as upgrades.
While annual sustainment spending for U.S. manned fighters will remain around $1 billion or even decline for the rest of the decade, unmanned aerial system (UAS) sustainment will grow to nearly $3 billion a year by 2018, according to Hal Chrisman, a principal at AeroStrategy. Moreover, operators are beginning to look for alternative providers to the original equipment manufacturers, he says.
With warfare in the electromagnetic spectrum a rapidly growing reality, the U.S. Navy and Air Force are dividing up the world of airborne electronic attack and planning to create a battle management system to organize the nation's electronic shield on the model of its kinetic air-to-air defenses.
Paul Eckert has joined Englewood, Colo.-based Jeppeson as vice president of aviation for Europe. A senior adviser to the Jeppeson leadership team for several years, Eckert also has been a safety expert for national and European Union aviation regulatory authorities.
U.S. Congress is slashing government spending to reduce the crushing $14 trillion national debt and pare down this fiscal year's deficit of $1.4 trillion, as estimated by the Congressional Budget Office. Funding for high-speed rail is getting the ax, but that project was always a pipe dream. Meanwhile, the mood on Capitol Hill is taking its toll at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and FAA.
After years of attempts by the U.S. intelligence and defense space communities to jointly develop satellites to serve their diverse needs, an amicable divorce appears to be under way as the two communities explore future constellation architectures. And they appear to be taking vastly different architectural approaches.
As Embraer looks to finalize industrial teaming arrangements for the KC-390, it is poised to throw a lifeline to International Aero Engines and the V2500 turbofan program.
House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) laid down a marker with his proposal to cut the U.S. budget deficit by $4.4 trillion over 10 years. Ryan's bold plan focuses on curtailing entitlements such as Medicare and Medicaid, while sparing the Pentagon from cuts and the rich from tax hikes. U.S. President Barack Obama fired back on April 13, with his own plan to reduce government borrowing by $4 trillion over 12 years (p. 23). But the Democratic leader's proposal would both raise taxes on the wealthy and cut security spending—to the tune of $400 billion.
After nearly shutting down the government, Congress and the White House opted to squeeze $446 million out of the Transportation Security Administration's budget request and restore the cap on airport screeners at 46,000 full-time employees. Rep. Harold Rogers (R-Ky.), the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, was a proponent of the caps back when he led the Homeland Security subcommittee. When the Democrats took control of the House in 2007, it was scrapped. Now, it's back.
An article on p. 80 in the April 4 edition incorrectly described aircraft activities from the USS Enterprise. The carrier was near Libya but its aircraft were not pressed into operations there.
Philip Balaam has been appointed vice president of business development at Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. of Hong Kong. He was Singapore-based Asia-Pacific sales and marketing director for Arianespace.
Low-cost carriers and full-service competitors of Singapore Airlines (SIA) are capturing most of the growth at Singapore Changi Airport, a trend that is expected to continue for at least the next few years. SIA is one of the world's most profitable carriers, thanks to its market positioning as a full-service carrier that provides consistently high levels of comfort. But there is a danger SIA group may be resting on its laurels.
The Royal Air Force has completed the first air-to-ground strike with the Eurofighter Typhoon. The mission took place April 12 as part of combat operations in Libya. One Typhoon was flying with a Tornado GR4 when the two engaged ground targets near Misratah. The Typhoon employed an Enhanced Paveway II and the Tornado used a Paveway IV. The debut could be significant for export campaigns where the Typhoon lacked combat credentials.
Michael Wisbrun (see photo) will become managing director of Amsterdam-based SkyTeam on June 1, succeeding Marie-Joseph Male. Wisbrun, whose support staff will include new Deputy Managing Director Su Liang, is currently executive vice president of KLM Cargo.
Brazil's defense and security ambitions seem insatiable. The laundry list of new programs keeps growing and is so full that efforts such as a new reconnaissance and helicopter program on the horizon appear as mere “noise.”
The April 11 mishap at a taxiway intersection at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, in which the wingtip of a taxiing Airbus A380 struck the tail of a Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet and spun the smaller aircraft nearly 90 deg., is raising some big questions. More precisely, the incident raises questions about how to ensure safe ground operations of really big commercial aircraft.
Judy Perry Martinez (see photo) has been named vice president and chief compliance officer of Los Angeles-based Northrop Grumman Corp. She was assistant general counsel for litigation.
The Dutch government has decided to proceed with the purchase of a second F-35 Joint Strike Fighter test aircraft to be heavily involved in the operational test phase. The issue had been under review, with the Pentagon giving the Dutch government an extension until April 30 to decide. The Dutch defense minister, Hans Hillen, notes the involvement will give the ministry more insight into the operational potential of the aircraft and Dutch-specific requirements. Interoperability of the F-35 with other Dutch military equipment also will be examined.
John Purvis has been named president and chief executive officer of AME Unmanned Air Systems, formerly AeroMech Engineering, San Luis Obispo, Calif. He succeeds Jay McConville, who will become chairman and executive vice president at unmanned aerial system ground control station integrator ChandlerMay.
